Brassiere



June 30, 1942. N, ALBERT 2,287,769

BRASSIIEIRE Filed June 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J INVENTOR H/S ATTORNEYS June 30, 1942. N. ALBERTS BRAssIimE Filed June 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NTOR 1,1 M 7 BY f H/s A1TORNEY5 Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

a greater degree of comfort than is obtainable with such garments as heretofore constructed, and which will eliminate what may be considered as a tendency to impair the health through improper support.

A further feature of the invention is to provide 0 a snug fit beneath the bust to prevent the garment from working upwardly, and also to provide a snug fit at the sides so as to prevent the gaping of the upper edge of the brassire away from .the body.

Another object of the invention is to cause the garment to hug the body tightly in the center at the front so as to give emphasis to the natural feminine figure.

close to the breasts is stiffened to the extent necessary.

The present invention relates particularly to the brassire construction described and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent 2,135,094, granted November 1, 1938. While the patented construction has proven to be commercially successful, the aim of the present invention is still further to improve this type of brassiere. It hasbeen found that, under certain circumstances, the change in appearance from that of the ordinary brassire due to the presence of the three upwardly converging side straps attached to each shoulder strap is objectionable, and the object of the present invention is, therefore, to improve the appearance of the garment while retaining the desired functions of affording the proper bust support with absence of the frontal pressure referred to above.

Another object of the present invention is to The invention also aims to gonflne t flesh provide a construction by which all of the adat the sides of the bust and to improve the bust line of unsymmetrical figures.

In most garments of this kind as heretofore made, the breasts were confined within pockets in the garments by the tension of the body-encircling portion of the garment and by shoulder straps attached to the upper edge of the garment above the centers of the pockets. By means of the construction of the present invention the tight drawing over the fronts of the breasts which is unavoidable with garments constructed as above mentioned, is eliminated, and yet the desired uplift or supporting and lifting of the breasts I from beneath is obtained.

Attempts have been made heretofore to make such garments more comfortable by providing an inner section which is free and disconnected from the main or band portion of the brassire except at selected points of connection therewith, this inner section forming so-called bust supporting and receiving "pouches." The upper edges of these pouches, however, had a tendency to produce a sharp line of pressure underneath the breasts which tended to make the garments uncomfortable. This diiilculty is overcome by the construction of the present invention.

In other previous efforts to render these garments more acceptable the material forming the pockets was reinforced or stiffened with the intention that the pull of the shoulder straps extending upwardly centrally of the breasts would be prevented from drawing tightly over the front.

The desired comfort, however, cannot be secured in a garment of this sort where the material vantages of the garment construction set forth in the above mentioned patent are obtained through a related but different organization of the parts of the garmen A still further object of the present invention is to improve the brassire so as to make it especially comfortable and convenient for use under special circumstances, such, for example, as by nursing mothers.

The invention will be better understood from a consideration of the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, twoembodiments of the invention. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is an inner or rear view of the improved brassiere before it has been secured in place on the body of the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 but showing the positions of the various parts of the garment after it has been secured in place on the wearers 0 body;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a.

modification.

The band portion l consists of a front section! Referring now to these drawings, the brassire comprises a band i adapted to-encircle the body in the region of the bust, together with shoulderstraps 2 and 3 and suitable connections between: the ends of these straps and theband portion.-

and two side and re r sections "5 and 8, these.

latter extending around the body and partially across the back as is customary in garments of this kind. The garment is held in place by fasteners I, one pair of which is on an elastic extension 8 secured to side section to make the garment fit snugly.

The front section 4 and the side sections 5 and 6 are made of soft, pliable fabric which often has comparatively little give" or stretch, but, depending upon the design and styling of the garment, the material in all three of these sections may possess either a one-way or a two-way stretch. Thus it is common for the central section 4 to have a certain degree of stretch or elasticity in the vertical direction and sections 5 and e to have a suitable degree of elasticity in the horizontal direction, and, in the latter v case, the elastic insert 8 is usually omitted.

The band I also includes two lower sections II and I2 which are shaped to embrace the lower portions of the breasts of. the wearer for the purpose of supporting them. The material of these sections preferably is of the non-stretch variety but either one-way or two-way stretch material may be used. In other words, the material of sections 4, 5, 6, II and I2 may be made in any desired combination of non-stretch, twoway stretch, or one-way stretch materials. Sections II and I! are stitched in part to central section 4 and in part to the adjacent side section along curved seams I3 and Il.

The upper portions I5 are preferably made of a light material, net or lace material frequently being used, and they may be pointed at the top in the usual manner. In the style of garment shown on the drawings, the side sections 5 and 6 of the band extend above the side edges of the breast-supporting sections II and I2. The outside margins of the upper or cover portions l5 are made so as to be substantially a continuation of the upper lines of the side sections 5 and 6.

It will be understood that the particular pattern of the garment, especially that of the various sections 4, 5, 5, II and I2 of the band, and also the cover portions I5, can be varied to meet the requirements of changes in style. Thus, for example, the garment may, if desired, follow the style of the garment illustrated in the drawings of the above-mentioned patent or any suitable style.

The shoulder straps 2 and 3 are commonly made of inelastic material such as ribbon and may be provided at the back with the usual elastic inserts (not shown). Instead of providing the elastic inserts at the back, the shoulder straps themselves may be made of material having a suitable stretch or elasticity. The front ends of the shoulder straps are attached to the band I at the sides of the breast-supporting sections II and I2 by means of angular or upwardly converging side straps I5 and I1. These side straps are of material which is relatively inextensible as will be explained below. The upper ends of each pair of side straps I6, H are secured to the front end of one of the shoulder straps by means of stitching III, or in any other desired manner. The lower ends of each pair of these side straps are secured to the band I adjacent the opposite sides of the breast-supporting sections II and I2, respectively, and preferably they are secured directly to sections II and I2 adjacent the curved lines of stitching I3 and II.

The upper portions I5, instead of being held up by elastic tape connections as specifically disclosed in the previous patent, are themselves constructed of material which, compared to the side straps I8, 11, is extensible and preferably elastic or resilient in the upward direction, and because of this, can be arranged to conceal the angular side straps I5, II. Cover portions I5 may also have the above properties in the horizontal direction, but a somewhat better effect can be obtained by making the material extensible in the upward direction only. This relative extensibility of the upper portions I5 with respect to the side straps I5 and I1 may be secured by making the side straps of material which is substantially inextensible (as is the case with the ribbon as described above) and making the upper portions of extensible material or by making the side straps of material which is somewhat extensible and making the upper portions I5 of material which has greater extensibility. The important consideration is to make the stretchability or extensibility of the cover portions greater than that of the side straps. The upper portions I5 are secured by stitching to the upper margins of the breast-supporting sections II, If and are extended upwardly a sumcient distance to overlie, that is, to lie in front of, and conceal the side straps l6 and I1. They are connected at the top to the lower ends of shoulder straps 2 and 3, preferably by the same stitching I8 by means of which the side straps are secured to the shoul der straps.

In the relaxed position of the garment, as shown in Fig. 1, the side straps I 8 and II are loose as indicated, but when the garment is in position on the body of the wearer, these side straps are pulled taut as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the elasticity or extensibility of the upper portions I5 relative to the side straps I 6, I I permitting the side straps to take the weight of support without producing a drawing or undesirable tension over the front of the breast, or, in other words, without producing the undesirable frontal pressure. In so doing, the margins of the upper portions I5 are stretched into curved outlines as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 instead of retaining the substantially straight outlines of Fig. 1 or of the garment shown in the above mentioned patent. The upper portions I5 serve more as mere coverings for the upper portions of the breasts than I as confining means.

The resilient or extensible characteristics of the cover portions I5 may be obtained in a number of ways-for example, by the use of rubber, or other material in itself extensible or stretchable in the construction of the cover portions, or by using fabric, which, because of an unusually high twist imparted to the thread, possesses elasticity, or by using knitted material or material which is cut on the bias.

When the garment is in position on the body of the wearer, the lower portion of band I encircles the body just below the bust line, and the front section 4 and forward positions of the side sections 5 and i extend upwardly beneath the breasts to approximately the horizontal center line of the bust, as may be seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The centers of the upper edges of sections II and I2 are located substantially at, but preferably not quite as high as, the centers of thebreasts and at the sides thereof these edges are at about the same elevation. These sections II and I2 under the tension of the band I and the side straps I8 and II consequently form a sort of cradle extending beneath each of the breasts, within and upon the upper surface of which the lower portion of each breast rests.

When the garment is put in place. therefore, by the wearer, the breasts are not only individually lifted to a uniform elevation but also the flesh at the base of the breasts, particularly on the lower sides thereof, is urged outwardly, filling the outer portions of the cradle-like members II and I2 and being lifted into light contact with the upper portions l5.

This is illustrated in the drawings of Fig, 4, where the dotted and somewhat circular line A indicates the approximate outline of the breast (viewed from the front) before the garment is applied, and the smaller dot-and-dash line 3 indicates the location of the base of the bust after the garment is in position. The positions of the side straps l6 and I1, before the garment is secured on the body of the wearer, are shown in full lines, and the position which these straps assume after positioning the garment are shown in dotted lines.

The arrows also indicatethat as tension is applied to the "side straps I 6 and I! during the application of the garment to the body of the wearer, the lower ends of these straps swing toward one another, showing that the lifting of the flesh into position to fill the outer portions of the recesses formed by the supporting sections l I and I2 and the cover sections I5 causes the base of the breast to be reducedin size. A drooping fi re is thereby molded to accomplish the desired youthful bust line.

The lifting of the breasts, however, by the shoulder straps 2 and 3 is accomplished by means of side straps l6 and IT which extend well around to the sides of the breasts as may be seen in Fig. 3, so that these straps have very little curvature in the front direction and consequently do not press undesirably against the body of the wearer. From Fig. 3 it will be observed that these side straps l6 and H are very nearly straight when the garment is in position. This lifting action of the side straps is independent of the upper or cover portion 85. The amount of pressure exerted by these cover portions l5 over the front and upper portions of the breasts is controlled by the length and stretchability characteristics of the elastic material used in these cover portions. Hence the garment can be constructed to)provide any desired degree of looseness or firmness of the upper or cover portions l5.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings, there is here illustrated a modified form of the improved garment. In the brassiere illustrated by way of example, the construction is similar to that of the garment above described except that the cover portions l5a, instead of being secured fast to the shoulder straps 2 and 3, are releasably secured thereto. This is accomplished by means of a buttonhole H! in the top of the cover portions l5a and a button 20 at the lower end of each shoulder strap opposite or slightly above the point of connection of the converging side straps l6 and IT. This garment is intended for the convenience of a nursing mother, and to facilitate its use the front section la is preferably slitted from its top downwardly to the bottom of the cover portions l5a and the margins of this slit are connected by the separable fasteners 2|.

The brassire of the present invention may be made as a separate garment as illustrated in the drawings, or it may be combined with a corset or corselet. Because of the particular construction of the brassire, according to the present invention, it is well adapted for incorporation in other garments such, for example, as slips, playsuits, bathing suits and dresses.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction of the improved garment without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a garment of the class described, a band of soft flexible material adapted to encircle the bust having a pair of outwardly extending generally conical recesses at the front to receive the breasts, each of said recesses including a lower breast-supporting portion, 'a shoulder strap extending upwardly centrally above each of the recesses, connecting means for each shoulder strap comprising a pair of side straps secured at their lower ends to the band at the sides of the recesses at places substantially in horizontal alinement with the centers thereof and having their upper ends secured to the shoulder strap, and an extensible connection between the upper portion of the band and each shoulder strap comprising upwardly extensible fabric overlying the upper portion of the breast, whereby said side straps are caused to support the lower portion of the band beneath each breast thereby lifting the breasts and at the same time drawing them inwardly at the sides and causing them to conform to the shape of the recesses without applying tension over the front of the breasts.

2. In a garment of the class described, a band of soft flexible material adapted to encircle the bust having a pair of outwardly extending generally conical recesses at the front to receive the breasts, each of said recesses including a lower breast-supporting portion and an upper cover portion, a shoulder strap extending upwardly centrally above' each of the recesses,,a pair of side straps for each shoulder strap secured thereto at their upper ends and at their lower ends secured to the band at the sides of the recess which is beneath the shoulder strap at places substantially in horizontal alinement with the centers of the recesses, the said cover portions being secured to the respective shoulder straps adjacent the upper ends of the side straps and overlying and concealing said side straps, the said cover portions being extensible in the upward direction whereby the said straps are caused to support the lower'portion of the band beneath each breast thereby lifting the breasts and at the same' time drawing them inwardly at the sides and causing them to conform to the shape of the recesses without applying tension over the front thereof.

3. In a garment of the class described, a band adapted to encircle the bust having a pair of outwardly extending generally conical breast-receiving sections each comprising a cradle portion and a cover portion, a pair of shoulder straps, and means for connecting the front end of each shoulder strap to one of the cradle portions comprising a pair of side straps secured at their lower ends to the sides of the cradle portion at places substantially in horizontal alinement with the centers of said breast-receiving sections, said straps having their upper ends secured to the shoulder strap, the upper part of each cover portion being connected to its shoulder strap above the upper ends of the side straps, the cover portions being upwardly extensible to a greater extent than the side straps whereby the side straps and cradle are caused to support the breasts, at the same time pulling them up inwardly at each side thereby causing them to conform to the shape of the breast-receiving sections without applying tension over the front of the breasts.

4. In a garment of the class described, a band of soft flexible material adapted to encircle the bust having a pair of outwardly extending generally conical recesses at the front to receive the breasts, each of said recesses including a lower breast-supporting portion, a shoulder strap extending upwardly centrally above each of the recesses, connecting means for each shoulder strap comprising a pair of side straps secured at their lower ends to the band at the sides of the recesses at places substantially in horizontal alinement with the centers thereof and having their upper ends secured to the shoulder strap, and an extensible connection between the upper portion of the band and each shoulder strap comprising upwardly extensible fabric overlying the pair of side straps and the upper portion of the breast, whereby said side straps are caused to support the lower portion of the band beneath each breast thereby lifting the breasts and at the same time drawing them inwardly at the sides and causing them to conform to the shape of the recesses without applying tension over the front of the breasts, the said extensible connections including releasable connectors whereby the fabric overlying the upper portions of the breasts may be released so as to expose the same while maintaining the support beneath the lower portions of the breasts.

5. In a garment of the class described, a band adapted to encircle the bust having a pair of outwardly extending generally conical breast-receiving sections each comprising a cradle portion and a cover portion, a pair of shoulder straps, and means for connecting the front end of each shoulder strap to one of the cradle portions comprising a pair of side straps secured at their lower ends to the sides of the cradle portion at places substantially in horizontal alinement with the centers of said breast-receiving sections, said straps having their upper ends secured to the shoulder strap, the upper edge of each cover portion being connected at its center to its shoulder strap not lower than the upper ends of the side straps thereby causing the edges of the cover portions to determine the upper edge outline of the garment, the cover portions being rendered elastie in the upward direction by the incorporation of rubber therein whereby the side straps and cradle are caused to support the breasts, at the same time pulling them inwardly at each side thereby causing them to conform to the shape of the breast-receiving sections without applying tension over the front of the breasts.

6. In a garment of the class described, a band adapted to encircle the bust having a pair of outwardly extending generally conical breast-receiving sections each comprising a cradle portion and a cover portion, a, pair of shoulder straps, and means for connecting the front end of each shoulder strap to one of the cradle portions comprising a pair of side straps secured at their lower ends to the sides of the cradle portion at places substantially in horizontal alinement with the centers of said breast-receiving sections, said straps having their upper ends secured to the shoulder strap, the upper part of each cover portion being connected to its shoulder strap not lower than the upper ends of the side straps thereby causing the edges of the cover portions to determine the upper edge outline of the garment, the cover portions being upwardly extensible to a substantially greater extent than the side straps whereby the side straps and cradle are caused to support the breasts, at the same time pulling them up inwardly at each side thereby causing them to conform to the shape of the breast-receiving sections without applying tension over the front of the breasts.

LEON N. ALBERTS. 

